From 7 to 14 April, ArcelorMittal sites in France took part in the country's fourth Industry Week, an annual event organised by the Ministry of Industrial Renewal to promote industrial activity as a key economic driver and improve its perception, especially amongst young people.

ArcelorMittal sites in Le Creusot, Desvres, Biars-sur-Cère, Dunkerque, Florange, Fos-sur-Mer, Montataire, Reims and St. Chely joined the initiative and opened their doors to students, job seekers and local representatives who were interested in getting an exclusive insight into steelmaking professions.

With around 19,000 employees and around 50 industrial sites in the country, ArcelorMittal France was eager to take part in the event. Industry Week was first introduced in France in 2010 with the aim to increase the attractiveness of the industrial sector in France, and to improve its image as old-fashioned and perhaps outdated. The week offered students the possibility to visit hundreds of plants across the country, to discover first-hand the state-of-the-art technology in use in industrial companies, and to see the sophisticated products which are at the heart of modern life today.

In St. Chely - global leader in electrical steels - science and technical degree students were given a tour of the plant, and were able to see the theory seen in their textbooks put into practice by our colleagues on site.

Similar tours were organised in Le Creusot, and one of the visitors was student Zacharie Charrieres, who said after touring the sheet plant: "We have discussed the process in class so I thought I knew what to expect, but I was really amazed when I entered the plant. I wouldn't have expected it to be this impressive."

ArcelorMittal's Distribution Solutions site in Biars-sur-Cère partnered up with the French national job centre Pôle Emploi by presenting the company to 11 jobseekers and four representatives of the employment entity. Biars-sur-Cère currently has 73 employees and is specialised in the welding of steel sheets for customers in the railways, aeronautical and military markets.

After visiting the site, Sandrine Cavoleau, director of the Figeac job centre, said: "I would like to thank ArcelorMittal for the high quality of the presentations and for the availability of the entire team on site, who gave detailed explanations and took the time to answer all our questions. This could be the start of a good collaboration between our two organisations."

In Florange, Fanny Girard, apprentice at the Serémange coke plant, talked about her academic journey alongside male science and engineering technology students to around 30 girls from a secondary school Pagny sur Moselle who found out more about what it is like to progress in technical professions as a woman. Representatives from ArcelorMittal Florange also took part in a forum that gathered several schools and universities from the region, and more than 60 students submitted their application for an internship within the company.

Desvres also welcomed local representatives, as the sub-prefect seized the opportunity of the Industry Week to tour our facilities and get a better understanding of the company's operations in the region.

In Dunkirk, students from Westhoek high school visited the operations and were able to re-create their school logo with our steel. ArcelorMittal also participated in a round table discussion in the city of Grande Synthe on the future of the industry attended also by the Mayor of Grande Synthe, the Deputy Prefect of Dunkirk, and representatives of the local school inspectorate.

"In 2013, ArcelorMittal recruited nearly 500 new employees in France and also provided apprenticeships for more than 1,000 young people, demonstrating the great dynamism of its activities in the country. As one of the key industrial players in the country, ArcelorMittal fully embraces the Industry Week, which also helps us promote the steel industry which has a sustainable future in France," said Hervé Bourrier, CEO of ArcelorMittal France.



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